Would have been nice, but I can't complain. Al Golden's first recruiting class was an absolute home run. Keeping Tracy Howard reminds me of what the fan base would have been like if Randy would have kept Deonte Thompson in South Florida.. very, very important pick-up and shows every single program out there how serious Golden is as a recruiter.

edit: LSUfreek needs to hit up my avatar with Golden doing the kicking and Muschamp doing the teetering tree fall.

__________________
"Compadres, it is imperative that we crush the freedom fighters before the start of the rainy season. And remember, a shiny new donkey for whomever brings me the head of Colonel Montoya."

"(Whats your name?) G-Reg. (What you do?) Get head. (How you do it?) Drop my drawers, let her see my third leg. Chillin' on the 7th floor, I gotta let these chickens know Big Greg is in the house, and I'm gonna to make these hoes choke. On my balls, on my dick then I bust a nut quick. On her face, on her chest, stick my dick between her breasts. Come on fellas, let's get weird. Stick your dick up in her ear. While I'm laughin at these guys, a second nut all in her eyes. (Wait a minute...in her eyes?) In her eyes."

"(Whats your name?) G-Reg. (What you do?) Get head. (How you do it?) Drop my drawers, let her see my third leg. Chillin' on the 7th floor, I gotta let these chickens know Big Greg is in the house, and I'm gonna to make these hoes choke. On my balls, on my dick then I bust a nut quick. On her face, on her chest, stick my dick between her breasts. Come on fellas, let's get weird. Stick your dick up in her ear. While I'm laughin at these guys, a second nut all in her eyes. (Wait a minute...in her eyes?) In her eyes."

Just finished up my review for the 2012 class that signed yesterday. The ratings next to the guys names are what I give them, most of the guys have highlights with them as well that will be in a spoiler in the next post.

QB- BPreston Dewey (5.8) – Legit 6-3 with a good build. Great mechanics with a quick, over the top release. Not much of a running threat but moves well in the pocket to avoid rushers. Doesn't have an elite arm but can make all the throws and has confidence in his arm. Good anticipation on routes. Very accurate on both intermediate and deep throws. Intelligent player who was coached by former heisman winner Ty Detmer in high school. Experience playing in a pro style offense and playing under center. Played on a very poor team in Texas and didn't win much. Under Armour All American. Enrolled early and should have a chance to compete for the starting spot right away. Gray Crow (5.6) – Decent height (6-1/6-2) with a thick build (220). Strong arm with good feet. Won a ton of games in high school but had very mediocre stats. Played in a pro style offense. Average accuracy. Early entree but will need time to develop. Enrolled or spring practice. A ton of physical tools but a project and likely won't contribute right away.David Thompson (5.6) – Only 6' but has a decent build. 3 sport athlete who will likely end up playing baseball. Great athlete. Solid arm strength and is an accurate passer. Smooth release. Very productive. Will play both football and baseball at Miami.

RB- ADuke Johnson (6.1) – ELITE talent. A bit short at 5-9 but has a good build. Incredibly explosive with great long speed. Fantastic balance and vision. Good stiff arm and avoids hits well. Elite intangibles with a top notch work ethic. Great receiver and return man who excelled as a corner as well. Runs hard and isn't afraid of contact. Great lateral agility. Elite production in high school against top competition, totaling 5000 yards and 70 TDs, while averaging over 10 yards a carry for his career. Under Armour and Parade All American. Die hard Cane. Committed his junior year and never wavered. Elite RB talent who is a threat to score whenever he touches the ball. Program changer.Danny Dillard (5.7) – Big back at 6-2 205 with frame to get a lot bigger. Legit long speed and solid athleticism in general. Downhill runner with not much wiggle. Runs high. Average burst and balance. Raw as a runner. Runs hard and has solid hands. Productive back against solid competition. Chose Miami over offers from Illinois and NC State. Projects as a solid power back with some break away speed.

WR- B+Angelo Jean-Louis (5.9) – 6'+, with a good build. Very good athlete with good long speed. Catches the ball naturally with his hands. Tremendous body control and catches the ball at it's highest point. Physical after the catch and can make some guys miss. Very good DB prospect and could end up there but will start at WR. Solid production in high school against good competition. Played HS ball with Gabriel Terry. Recruited by most of the top programs in the country. Under Armour AA. Has the athleticism and natural receiving ability to contribute early.Robert Lockhart (5.8) – A thin 6-1 but should be fine down the road. Fantastic athlete. Great speed and agility. Impressive body control and makes acrobatic grabs. Snatches the ball out of the air. Willing blocker. Played some DB in high school. Not afraid of contact. Slippery in the open field and makes plays after the catch. Former Virginia Tech commit who flipped late in the process. Played with Taylor Gadbois in prep school. Year out of high school, should be able to contribute right away with lack of depth at WR.Herbert Waters (5.8) – 6-0 with a thin build but a frame to get bigger. Very smooth runner and a good athlete all around. Good quickness and agility. Soft hands and shows a lot of natural ability as a receiver even though he played a lot of QB in high school. Also played defensive back in high school (as well as punter) and could end up there in college. Very high football IQ. Produced at every position he played. Projects as a slot guy early with a ton of potential as he develops as a receiver. Malcolm Lewis (5.8) – Average height at 5-11 but thick. Extremely quick. Solid athlete. Very good body control and makes some very tough catches. Catches with his hands well but lets it get into his body at times. Good route runner and advanced as a receiver for a high school player. Very productive against very good competition. Hard worker. Won a ton of games at a top program in South Florida. Chose UM over WVU and UCLA. Projects as a slot player that should compete early on. D’Mauri Jones (5.7) – Legit 6-3+ but fairly skinny with an average frame. Very good long speed. Deceptively quick and shows some physicality after the catch. Very good body control and hands. Played against very average competition but did produce. Chose UM over some lower level BCS offers. Solid basketball player. A bit of a project and needs to gain weight, but should develop into a deep threat and red zone threat. Jontavious Carter (5.6) – Legit 6-4 with a good build. Impressive athlete. Good leaping ability. Only played football for the past two years. Miami was his dream school and committed when they offered and never wavered, though he did receiver interest from UGA and GT. Sleeper from Georgia with not much tape, has top shelf tools for the position but might need to develop before producing in college.

TE- N/A
There wasn't a lot available this year at TE but Miami did miss out on the guys they targeted. Brandon Holifield was committed for most the of the year but wasn't really Miami Caliber. There could still be a late signee at this position. Going to be a big focus on TE next year with at least two guys needed, with a JUCO player likely being targeted.

OL- B+Ereck Flowers (6.0) – Terrific size at 6-6 315 with a very athletic build and long arms. Good athlete with quick feet in pass protection. Good hand positioning. Mauls people in the run game. Bends very well and doesn't lunge at defenders. Stays low and plays with good leverage for the most part but can get a bit high against smaller defenders. Nasty demeanor. Gets to the second level and blocks well in space. Dominated in high school on one of the best teams in the state. A bit of a late bloomer who didn't start dominating until after committing to Miami. Teammate of Duke Johnson. Early enrollee who should be in the two deep at tackle right away and could see the field as a freshman. Projects as a top flight left tackle.Danny Isidora (5.9) – 6-3 with a very thick 330 lb build. Natural bender with quick feet. Powerful run blocker. Very athletic for his size. Solid hand placement. Good footwork when pulling but needs to get better in space. Finishes blocks. Played tackle in a run dominant offense. Comes from a good football program. Chose Miami over Wisconsin. Teammate of Josh Witt. Needs to lose some weight but projects as a starter at guard in a few seasons and could contribute early. Taylor Gadbois (5.7) – Very long 6-7 with a lean build. Good athleticism. Mauler who plays with a nasty demeanor. Raw coming out of high school after not playing his junior year. Life long Cane fan who original chose UM over Georgia and Georgia Tech. After spending a semester at prep school and enrolling for the spring semester he should be able to compete at RT right away, but will probably end up playing in a reserved roll as a freshman.

DL- B+Tyriq McCord (5.9) – 6-3 and a solid 220 with a frame to get to 250+. Explosive first step. Great top end speed and agiltiy. Wrap up tackler that explodes into ball carriers. Needs to use hands better and play with better leverage. Natural pass rusher but needs to develop more moves. Needs to get stronger and develop as a run defender. Played end and rush backer in a 3-4 in high school. Extremely productive pass rusher with 30 sacks the past two years. Army All American. Chose Miami over Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Southern Cal. Explosive pass rusher that could contribute early in a hybrid roll but has needs to get into the weight room before he becomes a full time player.Jelani Hamilton (5.9) – Well built 6-5 265 with long arms. Tremendous athleticism for his size with a good first step. Good functional strength. High motor. Plays with good leverage and uses his hands well to disengage from blockers. Projects as an end early but could grow into a tackle. Played for one of the top programs in the country and played good competition in South Florida. Picked Miami over a handful of top level BCS schools. Good chance to play early because of his size and lack of depth at end.Jacoby Briscoe (5.7) – Great size at 6-4 310 with long arms. Good athlete with a solid first step. Great hand usage with a powerful punch. Uses a bull rush and swim move well. Motor ran hot and cold. Played out of position at end in high school. Dominated in the state championship game which earned him the an offer. Chose Miami over Tennessee and Texas A&M. Very high potential at DT if he stays motivated. Dwayne Hoilett (5.7) – Well built 6-3 220 with a good frame. Good explosion off the snap. Very fluid athlete. Good hand usage and leverage. Has experience rushing from a 3 point stance or standing up. Only played part time as a junior before having a very productive senior year. Early enrollee with high potential as a pass rusher but needs to develop and get stronger, will likely play in a hybrid linebacker roll.Dequan Ivery (5.7) – Wide body at 6-1 315. Incredible strength and already benches over 400 lbs. Bends and moves well for a large guy. Solid motor. Overweight and needs to get in better shape. Raw with not a ton of starting experience, late bloomer. Played nose in a 3-4 but still racked up 10 sacks his senior year. Late commit that flipped from Louisville. Nose tackle prospect that is probably a year or two away from contributing. Earl Moore (5.6) – A bit small at 6-1 280 but has a thick, muscular build. Quick off the snap. Good leverage because of his height. Uses his hands well. Good strength. Good motor. Fluid athlete that moves well for a nose tackle. Played nose in a 3-4 scheme in high school and produced some impressive tackle and sack numbers the last two years. Also played offensive line. Fireplug inside that won't be a monster but projects as a solid rotational player.Jake O’Donnell (5.5) – Fantastic length at 6-6 with a decent 235 lb build. Good athlete from Pennsylvania. Impressive top end speed and first step. Average production in high school against teams that mostly ran the ball. Played TE as well as DE. Rushed from a 2pt stance some as well. Earned an offer after competing at a camp at Miami. Project pass rusher but has solid physical tools and is a hard worker.

LB- B+Raphael Kirby (6.0) – Great size at 6-1 220 with a frame to get even bigger. Fantastic athlete that is incredibly explosive. Very good instincts and foot work. Can come down hill and play sideline to sideline. Vicious hitter that knocks ball carriers back. Gets through trash well and uses his hands well. Fluid athlete that drops into coverage well. Played at a top program in Georgia. Insane production with over 120 tackles and 20 sacks this past season. Army All American. Chose Miami over offers from Florida, FSU, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Southern Cal. Enrolled early and should be able to compete for a starting spot immediately at middle linebacker. Josh Witt (5.9) – Good size at 6-2 215 with a tremendous frame. Top notch athlete with elite top end speed for his position. Great functional strength. Ran over and around OTs in high school. Insane motor. Big hitter. Very good tackler in space. Former QB who has only played LB for the past 2 seasons. Played with Danny Isidora in high school. Great production with 120 tackles, 12 sacks and 7 forces fumbles. Very versatile, rushed the passer from a stand up position but also played a more traditional LB roll dropping into coverage. Still learning to play the position and is relatively raw. Will need to get bigger before seeing the field at linebacker but enrolled early and should play special teams right away because of his athleticism and tenacity. Gabriel Terry (5.6) - 6-3 210 with a solid frame. Fairly good athlete. Played mostly defensive end in high school put proejects as a stand up backer. Stays low out of his stance and plays with good leverage. Makes a lot of plays in the backfield in the run game. Sound tackler. High motor. Not many pass rush moves. Solid production against good competition. Played with Angelo Jean-Louis in high school. Played in Nebraska his junior year before transferring to Florida this year so was a bit under the radar. A bit of a project at linebacker but has the size and athleticism to play there.JaWand Blue (5.5) – Decent size at 6-0 210. Good, fluid athlete. Sideline to sideline player. Needs to improve tackling technique. Average instincts. Not overly explosive. Played mostly middle linebacker. Solid production. Flipped to Miami on signing day after being committed to Virginia Tech. Solid player who has some potential but more likely a reserve guy that can play multiple positions.

DB- A+Tracy Howard (6.1) – A thin 5-11 but has a good frame with long arms. Very good athlete. Very quick. Fluid hips. Fantastic technique and footwork. Stays low in his back pedal. Great ball skills. Good tackler that isn't afraid to throw his body around. Very physical in press coverage. Can play any type of coverage. Played against top talent in high school. Extremely high football IQ. Top level work ethic. Very productive with 10 interceptions his senior year. Army All American. Chose Miami over offers from Alabama, Florida, FSU Georgia, LSU and USC. A true lock down corner that should compete for a starting corner spot the second he steps on campus. Deon Bush (5.9) – Good size at 6-1 with long arms but thin. Elite athlete. Can jump through the roof. Physical with receivers in press. Turns and runs with receivers well. Technique is raw. Average instincts. Above average tackler. Played mostly single high safety in high school. Played top competition. Took a step back as a senior. Chose Miami over Alabama and Auburn. Projects as a corner but also has upside at safety. Antonio Crawford (5.8) – Solid size at 5-11 with a good build. Very good athlete. Turns and runs with receivers very well. Fluid hips and quick feet. Understands zone concepts. Breaks on the ball very well. Physical tackler. Played both running back and corner in high school. Received an offer after a great state championship game against Malcolm Lewis. Played at a top program in the state. Flipped to Miami late after being committed to Georgia Tech. Only played corner the past two years so is still a bit raw. Corner prospect who could grow into a starter. Vernon Davis (5.7) – Small at 5-9 170. Terrific athlete. Extremely quick. Very fluid. Insane change of direction ability. Fantastic ball skills and body control. Feisty player. Electric with the ball in his hands. Great two way player in high school. Great return man. Played top competition. Earned an offer at Golden's summer camp. Ideal nickel back that should help in the return game. Rayshawn Jenkins (5.7) – Great size at 6-2 200 with a build to put on a lot more weight. Good athlete with solid speed. Fairly explosive. Good hands and ball skills. Very physical runner. Former USF commit. Played RB, WR and safety in high school. Average competition. Projects as safety but could get some time on offense. Nate Dortch (5.7) – Good size at 6-0 with long arms but thin. Very fast. Very physical tackler. Smooth hips and can turn and run with receivers. Quick feet. Good technique. Solid ball skills. Former North Carolina commit. Solid corner prospect that has good tools but needs to develop physically.
[b]Ladarius Gunter (5.6) – Great size at 6-2 200. Solid athlete. Comfortable in press coverage. Willing tackler. JUCO transfer that has 3 years of eligibility to left. Early enrollee who will start at corner but could get some looks at safety. Larry Hope (5.5) – Solid height at 5-11 but a thin 160. Solid athlete with good speed. Physical in run support. Solid in press coverage. Average hips. Not overly quick. Earned an offer at Golden's summer camp. Early enrollee. Decent corner prospect who provides immediate depth.

Overall Grade – A
Being Golden's first full class, he clearly wanted to build his own foundation and overhaul the roster, and he did just that. 33 total players signed, 14 on offense and 19 on defense. They completely locked down South Florida, getting the top players from Dade and Broward county. 28 of the 33 players are from Florida, a majority of which are from the Broward, Dade and Palm Beach. They also signed a few prospects from the Tampa area. There were four major areas that needed to be addressed desperately, QB, WR, DL and DB. They signed 3 QBs, 6 WRs, 7 DL and 8 DBs. Nine players have already enrolled and will participate in spring practice. Almost all the players in the class are guys with high football IQs and great work ethics and that was clearly a focus of the staff to rejuvenate the team.

On the offensive side of the ball the focus was on bringing in skilled players after only signing 2 in last class. The QBs that were brought in all played in pro style offenses in high school and each bring something different. Dewey is an accurate pocket passer, Crow has top level physical tools and Thompson is a mix of the two with some mobility. Duke Johnson is the star of the class and should see the field a ton as a freshman. Dillard gives them a bigger back with great speed. The WR group is deep and all the guys displayed very good hands and body control. The top two plays in AJL and Lockhart could see the field right away if they make it on campus. Lewis and Waters are solid slot receivers and Jones and Carter are projects but bring height to the group. Flowers and Gadbois are both legit tackles who should develop into starters and Isidora is a powerful guard with good feet.

The defensive class is huge and and really needed to overhaul what was an average unit last season. The focus on the front 7 was definitely getting bigger for a possible transition to a 3-4. They seemingly brought in 2 NTs in Ivery and Moore, two 3-4 ends in Hamilton and Briscoe and 3 3-4 OLBs in McCord, Hoilett and Terry. There isn't really an elite guy in this group but it's a very solid group with some potential. Kirby and Witt are both guys who should end up playing in the 240 range and Blue has a solid frame as well. Kirby is every bit the prospect Perryman was last year with better size and explosion. Corner was an obvious weak point last season and with only 2 guys coming back, 7 guys were brought in to compete there in this class. Howard is the elite player of this group and the top defender overall, but Crawford and Davis are both good corner prospects as well. Bush is more athlete than football player at this point but has a ton of potential. Dortch, Gunter and Hope bring needed depth.